The Game Has Changed
by That anime-cartoon fangirl
Summary: The benders have all been restrained by a society of nonbenders after a long war and how are they punished? The Hunger Games, only with the benders we all know and love. Their only hope of being free of the nonbenders is the Avatar, who has gone missing. When Katara goes in place of Sokka, and meets up with Aang, will they be able to escape the others? And just what is Aang hiding?
1. Prologue

_**This is my first fanfic of this kind, but I am set out to make it decent! Constructive-criticism is accepted, and if you feel the need to add flames, then go ahead. **_

_**This takes place along the Hunger Games storyline, and Katara is substituted for Katniss, Zuko for Gale, Sokka for Prim, etc. You'll get it, no worries :)**_

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><p>My blue gaze wavered around the room, eyes wandering over every little object in the room, her hand retreating from its curled position and searching around her bed for Sokka, her younger brother. He must have gone to bed with their father. It made sense, after all.<p>

It was reaping day.

I sat up, my eyes searching over the room until I stood, pulling the furry tunic over my head and exiting my humble dwelling swiftly. I made my way over to the fencing that lined my small village, it being reduced to nothing more than a rusty, old, unused electric barrier that was never left on as it should have been. There were, after all, perks for being the village that was the farthest from their capital of non-benders that kept them in line.

The non-benders had found the benders to be sickening people, different in a way that could only mean bad. They raged war for many, many years until a form of weaponry was used to keep the benders in line. As a punishment for the results of the war, benders were divided out into different villages, and were forced to fight every year, sending one male and one female tribute into the arena to fight to the death. They were always such gruesome events, and coming from the smallest district in the area, and definitely the weakest, little District 12 never stood much of a chance anyway.

The only hope of such a tyranny ending was that the Avatar himself would be put into the Games, so he could rig the entire system and fight back. However, the last Avatar had vanished, without a trace, and the new Avatar hadn't been seen in many years. He was supposedly an airbender, and we had but two airbender families in our small village. The chances of the Avatar being a part of my village was miniscule, and I knew that there was no way that the airbender, whom was my age and the appropriate age of the Avatar, was him. Besides, being the boy with that he was, he was not someone that I liked to think about. I pushed my thoughts of him aside.

I snuck my way through the trees, walking forward on light feet, and watching for any signs of pursuement. None were found. I found my old canister hidden in the trunk of a cracked, old log and removed it, tying the water-filled container around my waist. I moved on from there, wanting to get something to eat for my brother and father today. Something fresh would be better to calm everyone down, for today was not a day with stress. I had put my name in several more times to supply extra food for my family, and it left me a little on edge. What's more, Sokka was finally old enough to be entering to name-drawings this year, and that put me even more on edge.

My mother died when I was very young, and she had died working to supply coal from the mines that she had taken on as a job once my father had grown ill. In that short while that it took my father to recover, my mother was lost to the power of the earth itself, and we did not see of her. My father grew silent, and had little jobs on the side to keep us fed, but mostly I held us up. Without my mother's extra work on the side, I couldn't do much more than I already was to keep Sokka and I looking decently and being kept fed. It was hard, and I missed my mother often, and resented my father for being so distant afterwards. Yet, I was focused on the needs of my younger brother now.

A snap to the left signaled an animal, and my entire body froze. Tensing up, I turned and found myself looking at a buck. The male deer had sensed something, but not being able to locate it, he went back to eating with caution. A deer, how lucky was I? All I needed was a proper shot...

But something spooked him and he bounded away.

Sighing in frustration, I lowered my hands, and the water flooded back into my canister.

"You'll never catch anything like that, Kat," a voice told me matter-of-factly. I turned, hearing the nickname that I had been given long ago and finding myself face-to-face with the dark-haired boy that had been my friend since we were younger. Zuko.

The scar over the one side of his face was prominent, per the usual, but I had grown accustomed to it, and it actually made him appear more attractive than he seemed. His father had gotten angry with him, and lashed out without even realizing what he was capable of doing during anger. He may have left a mark on Zuko's appearance, but his personality was as bright as ever.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "I almost had him and everything."

"Yah, well, sorry. I've been out and about for a few hours, growing a bit restless, the reaping today and all." Zuko mumbled, rubbing the back of his head and his long hair falling in front of his eyes as he looked down. He looked up at me and smiled, leading me away and rather to a small feast of bread, cheese, and what looked to be some freshly picked berries.

"Oh my gosh, how did you manage all of this?" I demanded, sitting swiftly and digging in, knowing that he wouldn't mind.

"Well, I did a bit of rummaging at the Hob this morning, too," he admitted, sitting next to me and eating alongside me. "I figured that since it is such a," he sighed, flipping his hair dramatically. "Special day that we might as well have some decent food." I laughed, and watched as he picked a berry up, flicking it into the air. "Happy Hunger Games," he paused as I caught the berry in my mouth, chewing and smiling as the flavor exploded across my tongue.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor." I finished the line of the infamous Ty Lee, the woman who always did the staging and drawing job at each of the Hunger Games for our district, and who always seemed to be way too excited to send children to their death. She was a non-bender, of course, but she seemed to fit way too easily among the benders without being noticed. She had always made me a little uncomfortable.

"Katara." Zuko gathered my attention from my thoughts, and I looked at him, and his amber eyes met my blue ones. "We could do it you know, run away."

"We wouldn't make it very far before the capitol caught us." I argued immediately, and Zuko glanced at me with his cocky little grin.

"We could make it, you and I," he retorted, but I shook my head. What was Sokka supposed to do with my father who refused to work if I were to just leave. Such a thing was maybe a nice fantasy to have, but it was not a possibility for people like me. I had to stay to keep Sokka safe. Realizing just what time it was, I shook my head, wrapping a little food for Sokka and my father.

"We should get going, we don't want to be late for the reaping." I stated.

"Aw, no fighting with the Dai Lee?" zuko asked a little mischievously, leaning back on his elbows in a relaxed position before standing beside me and nodding. "Wear something nice," he suggested before giving me a nod and watching me head back towards my own home. I dropped my water container back off at my little stump, and thought one more time about Zuko's mentioning of the capitol's guard group. The Dai Lee were a trained group of earthbenders that the capitol used for controlling the peace among the benders on days like these, and they were creepy, and nothing but trouble. We listened to them, though, for there were many of them, and even with the amount of benders that we had in the district, it wouldn't be nearly enough to take on the numbers of Dai Lee that came on the reaping day. I shook such silly thoughts from my head. As if an uprising on the reaping day was even possible.

Slipping back into my house, I found Sokka to be awake and my father as well. I gave Sokka the rest of the food, and found an old dress from my mother on my bed, waiting patiently. Well, Zuko did say to wear something nice. I took it into our little bathroom with me, washing myself up and then fitting myself into it. I tied my hair back into a loose braid, and glanced at myself in the mirror. I was nervous, sure, but I wasn't going to show such things to Sokka. He needn't be afraid, and he was going to be if he saw that I was on edge. I walked back out, and my father smiled.

"You look nice." I gave him a curt nod, turning to the real focus of my appearance in the kitchen, and found my brother dressed up as well. His shirt was tucked into his slacks, all except for a single spot that he couldn't reach behind him, making him look as though he had a duck tail.

"Tuck in your tail little duck." I instructed softly, doing it for him, and he giggled.

"Quack," he said, glancing up at me, his hair drawn back into a ponytail. His blue eyes were wide, and soft, and I knew that he was afraid. Sokka was always a soft little boy. I had even tried to take him out hunting with me once, attempting to get him to take on the family business instead of working in the dreadful mines that took our mother. Instead, I had shot a bird and he had only sniffled, telling me that if we brought it back home, then we could save it in time. I knew that my father was good in the medical field, and had been teaching Sokka since he was younger. Our mother was also knowledgeable on plants and healing herbs in the wilderness, and we had also learned much from her. I pushed my mother from my mind, not needing to think of these things at this moment. I smiled at my brother, leading him outside and towards the center of town. A large stage had been set up, and the Dai Lee milled around in their dark green robes and rocky gloves. Their large hats covered most of their faces, although they didn't hesitate to give an intimidating stare. I pulled Sokka along to the tables where the people between the age of eighteen and twelve were registered in.

"Listen," I told Sokka as he squirmed once his eyes caught sight of the needles they pricked us with. "It doesn't even hurt that much." I swallowed the lie, and it felt like ashes in my throat. I didn't like to lie, especially to Sokka, but he needed to be brave now. I stepped forward first, letting them draw my blood, and I couldn't help but flinch. I watched as Sokka uncertainly stepped forward, and cried out, stepping back once they had taken his. He went around, shooting the Dai Lee members a nasty look and standing at my side for the last time before we split off into our age groups. "Your name is only in there once." I told him, my hands on his shoulders. "There is no way that they'll draw your name, okay? It'll be just fine, go ahead and go find your group." I ushered his away, and he stumbled off towards the other twelve year olds. I wandered over towards those of my age group as well, nervous, as I squeezed through a pair of firebenders. Sokka was one of the unlucky few. Those who were born non-benders from a bending family. These people were forced to bear the same shame that the benders did, due to their heritage, and should he be forced into this year's Hunger Games.. I shook my head. His name was in there once. Once. They wouldn't draw it.

My eyes wandered around, searching the crowd of familiar faces until my eyes met Zuko's. He nodded in approval at my choice of outfit, and he knew it had belonged to my mother. I looked down at it once more, and noticed something just then. A small pin was clasped to it, a bird taking up its shape. I recognized it, the pin that was my mother's favorite. I silently was glad that my father had decided to pull this dress out today, for I hadn't felt this comfortable in a while about this day.

My head snapped up as Ty Lee had climbed onto the stage, turning to look at the large screen above her as a video played. The same video that they played every year and we knew exactly how it went. Shunning benders for using their talents against the government, and showing how their miraculous discovery in the art of weapon-making brought them back out on top in the war. How they had won, and decided that this punishment would be fair, and an exciting opportunity for each district. Right. Watching kids use their talents to kill each other was just great. I watched as Ty Lee turned back to us.

"Isn't that just swell?" She asked, receiving no response from the crowd as we all just wanted to know who got picked so we could go home and mourn. Actually, in all honesty, the families that didn't have their children picked usually went home celebrated. The kids whose families were picked would board up their windows, lock their doors, and mourn amongst each other, praying that some strength would reach them from the spirits in the spirit world. Yet, and yet, we knew that no spirits had even been active among us after the Avatar's disappearance. There were rumors that even the capitol had stopped searching for him. It was just a stroke of luck that the child was killed quickly and painlessly. "Now, of course, let's get started!" Ty Lee said in a way that made me wonder is she was actually happy to have her job or just putting on the show for the capitol. Her hand moved around the bulbous bowl, moving through names until she grabbed one, and swiftly placed herself in front of the microphone.

Her next words made my blood run cold.

"Sokka, of the Water Tribe."

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><p><em><strong>Kind of just an intro chapter. What did you guys think of it? Did I protray the characters right? Sometimes I don't.<strong>_

_**Also, what are your guys' opinions on other characters for later?**_

_**I'm think Iroh will be Haymitch, but what about Cinna? Or the three hairstylists: Octavia, Flavius, and Venia?**_

_**Review and let me know; thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 1

**_Here is the next chapter, it is really just a filler chapter, but I suppose that it could be needed. So, here you are!_**

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><p>"Sokka of the Water Tribe." I heard the name ring in my head, Ty Lee's voice loud and clear. How? How had they chosen him from every other name in there?! How many times was Zuko's name in there? I tried to recall, but I noted that it was a lot more anyone else's I knew. He had twelve times the chance of getting picked for this, and yet, the odds were not in my favor today.<p>

I saw Sokka kind of flinch, and he looked around in surprise. Ty Lee gestured him forward, and he shuffled forward a few paces. No, no! Soft, gentle Sokka could not go into the arena as a nonbender, they would kill him first, and he wouldn't have it in him to fight them back. I began to panic, the taste of fear rising into my throat, as I pushed my way through the throng of kids my age. A few of the Dai Lee saw my movements, but I was already in the aisle, screaming for Sokka and sprinting for him. I was cut off by a few Dai Lee, and a couple grabbed Sokka as well.

"No!" I screeched, they couldn't take him; they wouldn't. "I volunteer!" I thrusted my way out of the Dai Lee's grasp to stand on my own; they dropped me in surprise at my statement anyway. "I volunteer as tribute!" An odd silence stretched over the vast group of people, and I scampered forward to Sokka's side, his eyes red and swollen with tears.

"No, Katara, no you can't go, no!" He clutched onto me as Ty Lee glanced at a few Dai Lee in confusion. She then went over to an older man, one with a large belly who seemed to be drinking tea, and they whispered for a few minutes. I watched as she returned to the microphone, beaming.

"It looks like we have a tribute being replaced. As such, though, for the opposing genders, we'll have to draw for another boy. Sorry girls, you're out for this year." The girls let out relieved sighs while the boys shifted uncomfortably, not wanting a second chance for their names to be drawn. I felt Sokka clutching my tighter.

"Katara! Katara no!" His voice was tight, and I watched as Zuko lifted him into the air. How he'd managed his way over here, I didn't know, but I was extremely grateful. If the Dai Lee had touched Sokka again, I would've have lost it and used my waterbending. I wasn't sure how; my skills were developed, but not that developed. I still needed a water source instead of using the ability to create one.

"Off you go, Kat." I watched as Zuko took Sokka away, pushing through the Dai Lee and threatening to firebend at them if they didn't move for him. I shook my head; he was so stubborn. I walked forward to the stage area as Ty Lee beckoned me to do so. I watched as a Dai Lee member reached out to escort me, and I froze, shooting him a glare. He blinked, and I walked by swiftly, ignoring him and climbing up the steps that led to Ty Lee. I stood at her right as she reached her hand once more into the boys' jar, and pulled out another name, standing in front of the microphone as she unfolded the slip of paper.

"Aang of the Air Nomads." I stiffened; the odds couldn't have been in less favor of me today. I watched as the boy swallowed in discomfort, weaving through the other kids and walking onto the stage on Ty Lee's left side. His hair was shaven, as always, and his bright blue tattoos that showed that he was an airbending master stood out from his orange outfit. Of course, there was always the suspicion that he was the Avatar, but such rumors should have been crushed four years ago when the Dai Lee had inspected his entire family for traces of it. This was required of every airbending family, and I'd like to say that this was the reason that I disliked him so much, but no. When we were younger, just after my mother had died really, and I had no food, no money, there was nothing, he had helped. He'd seen me at my weakest point, and chose a long lecture from his father, Monk Gyatso, as he had thrown me a few loaves of bread. Starving, dying, sitting out there in the rain, and he took pity on me. I remembered it well, bringing it home and making Sokka's eyes pop out wide. He quickly reached for some, but I smacked his hand away gently. We may have been starving, but we were not going to reduce ourselves to mannerless savages. No, rather we washed our hands, and even my father sat around the table as I cut it up and handed it out with a little cheese from Sokka's goat. It had been the night I realized that I was going to have to work for what I wanted, and work I did. Up until now, when I knew that it was the end for one of us at least.

I turned, my bright blue gaze meeting Aang's pale ones, and I swallowed. He shivered, averting his gaze as though he too were thinking of that night all those years ago. I wasn't sure why it bugged me, but it did. I reached my hand out, and shook his. Ty Lee turned, announcing that were this year's contestants, and that the odds should be ever in our favors. But I knew better. The odds were so far from my favor that it was merely a wish of don't die. Instead of responding, the audience held three fingers to their lips and then held it out to us. I swallowed, knowing that it meant goodbye. My eyes were wide, and instead of getting a chance to respond, we were swept away to the main building in town where we would get a few minutes with our families and friends before being shipped off to the capitol for training, and of course, death. The Mayor rambled on about the Games and how we were honored to go, though I could read it in his eyes that he was particularly saddened by my leaving. Zuko and I used to bring his raspberries from the bushes that grew outside town, and he bought them always. He enjoyed the fresh kinds of foods, and found Zuko and I to be good people. As a result of this, he gave Aang and I separate rooms, and one by one, people were brought in to see us. It was just my family for me, and Zuko of course.

"Katara!" Sokka said, sprinting inside and wrapping his arms around my waist. I hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go of him. He was all I had right now, and he was of my utmost importance. I turned to my father, who was waiting with a sheepish look, and then I gave him a swift hug.

"Listen to me." I said, and his eyes widened but he remained silent as ever. "You cannot leave again. You can't. Sokka is going to need you, and I swear if you leave again-." I faltered, anger boiling up in my throat.

"I won't," my father promised, and I glared at him to ensure my meaning of anger. I turned back to Sokka, hugging him once more.

"You have to be brave, okay?" I told him, and he nodded, eyes wide and sad. "You have to be brave, and no matter what happens, it will be alright, alright?" He nodded again.

"Try to win," he whispered, and I choked back tears that were threatening to overflow. He must know that I have no way of winning this.

"I will." I whispered solemnly. It was too soon after that, that the Dai Lee came and took my family from me. Sokka was carried out screaming, and my father followed. The door was shut, and I closed my eyes tightly, trying to prevent the tears that were streaming down my cheeks. It opened once more to reveal Zuko, and he ran at me full-speed, embracing me in a bone-crunching hug. I hugged back with the same ferocity, and choked back more tears.

"Just try to win, okay?" Zuko said. "We both know you can hunt for yourself, you can survive on your own, so just try to do that, okay?" He hugged me, and I fought the tears back even more.

"Don't let them starve, Zuko." I whispered, referring to my younger brother and my father, neither whom of which could take care of themselves. "Please, don't let them starve."

"I won't," he said, and pulled back, his hands on my shoulders. "You can do this, I know it."

"There's 24 of us and only one of us comes back out." I argued softly, not ready to think about these things.

"You can do it," he repeated, and then the Dai Lee came. It was too soon; he couldn't be leaving yet! I reached out as he was taken from me, and the Dai Lee dragged him away. "Katara, just remember-!" And I never knew what it was that I was supposed to remember. I expected me to be done, taken away to the train station to head to the capitol where I would be forced through rigorous training exercises to prepare me for the inevitable. And to think that just this morning Zuko and I had planned about running away..

"Katara?" A soft voice questioned, and surprise flooded me as Monk Gyatso entered the room next, holding something in his hands. He handed it to me, a few cookies tied up in a bag. I swallowed, looking at him in confusion. Why was he here? "I came to wish you good luck. Try and win this, take care of yourself out there." His eyes radiated kindness, and he gave me a curt nod before escorting himself out the door. What? Why would he come visit me instead of his own son? Maybe he had already.

The Dai Lee came through the door next, escorting me out to a vehicle that would take us to the train station, and I was seated in the back next to Aang, who made his crying no secret. His eyes were puffy, and red, and he only nodded at me before staring silently out the window. We both could only dread what the future would bring, but we could do nothing about it. The inevitable. I could only hope that they would be training me with my waterbending. I would need more skills than I had already. We pulled away, and being in a car felt odd. I was used to hunting, and walking everywhere; this was different. We pulled up to the station, and there were cameramen everywhere, snapping shots and taping our walk onto the train. Ty Lee gently warned them off, and opened the door for us. I walked in first, as Aang ushered me to do so, and I found myself in the food car. I sat down, and Aang sat next to me. We looked over the many foods that were already there, and I silently grabbed a biscuit, and began eating it, forgetting about the cookies that were in my pocket. Ty Lee also sat, across from us, and watched us eat for a moment.

"Well, at least you have manners," she sniffed. Our last tributes were nonbenders who ate like savages." I wanted to retort, but wisely kept my mouth shut and continued to chew. Aang responded with a nod, and before he could reply an older man came out with a cup of tea, the one who had been on the stage. He filled the rest of his cup with some odd-scented spirit, and then sat next to us, obviously out of it.

"Well, look at this," he grumbled, sitting down roughly, and drinking more of his diluted beverage.

"Well, we should get talking about our strategy." Ty Lee suggested, folding her hands and looking at us both. "Any ideas?"

"How about some advice?" Aang suggested. "We don't really know what we're up against, and seeing as how Iroh has won the Games before.." Aang trailed off. Iroh. That was his name.

"You want some advice?" Iroh asked. "Stay alive," this ended with a bout of laughter, and Aang's jaw tightened.

"Are you going to be drunk through this whole thing?" he demanded, causing Iroh to laugh harder. Quickly, a flash of air shot across the table, breaking the glass in Iroh's hands. Quick as lightning, Iroh's fist flashed out and punched Aang in the jaw, only so that I could waterbend the tea form the floor, solidify it, and stab the icicle between the fingers of his other hand.

"That is rare imported wood!" Ty Lee protested as my icicle put a large crack in the table. Iroh, however, looked impressed.

"Looks like we've finally got a pair of fighters this year, do we?" He asked, looking us up and down. "It seems like I have something to work with. Now, I'm going to make another cup of tea. Why don't the two of you find your own cars and talk it up with each other and Ty Lee." With that, Iroh stood and left, leaving us all in silence.

"Well," Ty Le turned, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. "Where should we start?" I stood swiftly.

"With my departure." I responded swiftly, whipping around and heading towards my own car. I wasn't ready for this kind of process yet. I was going to get some rest first at least, before trying to work with my waterbending skills again. This time, however, I knew that I would have to use them to kill, and not just an animal. Other people as well.

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><p><em><strong>Review and let me know what you think! I already have some good ideas of how I want to go about this whole thing, but I like to know my reader's thoughts as well. <strong>_

_****TO GABE BELLGRAPH**: First of all, thank you for reviewing. I do like your ideas, and I think I will use them as I'm not really sure who else to use, so thank you so much! Secondly, your email did not come through. It blocks it unless you put spaces inbetween it so its not seen as an email or link. Then I can contact you (if you would like to do as such, feel free! It sounds like fun!)  
><strong>_


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